


A Night at the Reach

by Caranraw Greyhame (Atrus)



Series: Beneath the same skies [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Male Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Named Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Roegadyn (Final Fantasy XIV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:09:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24995158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atrus/pseuds/Caranraw%20Greyhame
Summary: Ala Mhigo is free. Zenos and Shinruy are defeated. Nothing stands between Caranraw and Hien’s reunion… or does it?
Relationships: Hien Rijin/Warrior of Light
Series: Beneath the same skies [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1800427
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	A Night at the Reach

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place after Stormblood / The Royal Menagerie.
> 
> Many thanks to Rowland Gwynne for beta reading and edits.

“Hakuro! I see you found Hien!”

The tall Lupin commander raises his ears at my approach, tail slowly swishing. I must be a sight to behold, covered in the grime of battle and exhaustion, my blue Yanxian dogi splattered with Zenos’ blood. Probably an affront to his canine nose as well.

He is standing at Hien’s side with Yugiri opposite him, and I can’t help but think that only a few weeks ago that had been Gosetsu’s place. I miss the booming voice of the old man.

Hakuro nods eventually, crossing his arms. “When I awoke this morning, I thought Lord Hien dead. And then he lived. And now he is here. It has been a wonderful day.”

“Very much so,” my eyes cross with the lord of Doma’s and I smile. It _is_ a wonderful day. “For a minute I thought you’d actually be late for our appointment, my lord, but I’ll forgive you thanks to that excellent dramatic entrance.”

“Did you think I would actually not come, my friend? My pride would be hurt, were I not so glad to see you all in one piece after that terrible battle!” Hien returns my smile and gestures in my direction, “We had a good view of your fight with Zenos from the skies. Both fights, I should say. When I saw him unleash that dragon I half thought all our efforts so far would be wiped away by its unbridled fury.”

Yugiri nods her agreement. “For you to best Zenos, even after he had harnessed the power of a primal, is a testament to your ever-growing strength.”

“Not bitter to have had your vengeance stolen from you by another?” Hien asks her, and she shakes her head.

“There is some small regret, perhaps, but that is outweighed by the satisfaction I find in his death. I commend you, Caranraw.”

“As should we all,” Hien says, “Zenos was a monster and a tyrant - the man who killed my father and countless other of my countrymen. The world is a better place without him in it.”

I squeeze my fists and nod. My feelings toward Zenos are complicated right now. I couldn’t have suffered to see him live, but his words made me think about what it is that really shapes us. Can nurture overtake nature? Was Zenos always destined to be a monster or was he made into one? Perhaps it was both, his natural inclinations channelled into violence and spite. Perhaps a different sort of childhood, different experiences, different friends might have made him… likely not a hero, but at least different.

Perhaps I just don’t want to believe that I’m in any way like him.

Hien must have sensed the trouble in my mind, for his words turn lighter as his gaze moves to Hakuro. “I should also praise master Alphinaud for his foresights and restraint. Had he not intervened when he did, I might never have had the pleasure of being reunited with Hakuro and his Lupin brothers!”

“‘Twas a timely intervention, aye,” the Lupin agrees, “Full glad am I not to have been burdened with the guilt of killing my lord Hien’s most trusted allies.”

I must look really ruffled by the comment, for it brings even Yugiri to laughter. “Hah! Indeed, my friend, indeed.”

“...I would not have been killed,” is all I manage to mumble, which causes another round of hilarity. “I literally just killed a god! Again!”

”Yes, yes, my friend, you are really tough and strong.” Hien squeezes my arm and winks, which makes the butterflies in my stomach explode in a flurry, and probably ruins what little dignity was left in my countenance.

I clear my throat and change the topic. “So. Uh. Where did you set up camp? I haven’t seen any tents with your insignia on the way back from Ala Mhigo, nor here in Porta Praetoria.”

Yugiri shakes her head. “We have not. Lord Hien must needs return to Doma with all due haste, and all the Xaela who didn’t need immediate medical attention are already on their way back to the Azim steppe.”

My heart sinks. “What,” I ask, although I’m sure it sounds more like a whine, “won’t you even stay a day or two for the celebrations? Lyse will be disappointed.”

Yes. Lyse. Not me. Definitely not me.

“I might stay,” the shinobi says, “I have yet to decide if I will accompany lord Hien home. I should like to visit my people in Revenant's Toll, for one…”

“You should go,” Hien says, crossing his arms, “Hakuro and his troops can safely see me home, and our comrades will be glad to receive news of Doma from a familiar face.”

The three start talking about logistics and travel arrangements, and I suddenly feel like a cart’s spare wheel. Is Hien really satisfied with such a brief meeting? Or are matters so pressing in Doma that he can’t even spare a single hour for us? I had thought… well, I’m not sure what I thought our meeting would be like, but certainly not that it would be cut this short.

“Is there aught on your mind, my friend?”

Hien’s words bring me back to the present.

“I have to go meet with Lyse,” I say, “She’s asked us Scions to meet her in Rhalgr’s Reach for some big announcement.”

I think I have a good idea of what she’s going to say - we all do - but some things need to be said out loud anyway, and I’m not going to steal her thunder, not on this day. Mine has already been thoroughly purloined.

Hien nods and turns back to Yugiri. With my soul in turmoil, I take my leave.

* * *

Rhalgr’s Reach is celebrating.

The roar of songs and laughter is almost as loud as that of the bonfires crackling in the night, and everywhere people are dancing and drinking and slapping each other on the back. Someone presses a flagon of wine into my hand and urges me to chug it down, lest I offend all their ancestors up to the seventh generation.

It is only after two more flagons and an improvised _zeybek_ dance that I manage to make my way towards the Chakra falls, where the crowd is thinner, and find a lonely spot to sit and look at the revels. The gentle buzzing in my head blurs the sways and whirls of the fires into red silhouettes, like they too are dancing to the rhythm of their own music.

“What was that expression you used,” a familiar voice says at my back, “Gil for your thoughts?”

It’s only my combat instincts that prevent me from falling out of my seat and into the water. “My lord,” I manage to mumble, “Just… thinking about things.”

“Hm,” he sits down at my right side, legs crossed in the Yanxian fashion, “You know, I should be thrice-offended, by all rights.”

“Oh? How so?”

“First of all, because you keep calling me _my lord_ despite my clear instructions not to do so. Second, because you thought I would really leave without finding time to talk to you in private, and you would have just let me go without doing anything about it.” Hien stares right ahead, where the Bloodstorm monument stands at the meeting of the two bridges. “I do not know if it’s lack of faith in me or in yourself that led you to such thoughts, but either way it is unbecoming of the famed Warrior of Light, the champion of Doma, and the man I want at my side. I thought you of all people would value the need to reach for the things you want in life. Or do you just fight other people’s battles after all?”

I bow my head, feeling properly chastised. “And the third?”

“The third,” he starts, then his serious countenance turns into that impish smile that makes all my barriers fall, “is that you trusted a delivery Moogle not to stumble on his own tall yarns. The poor fellow couldn’t even point at Ala Mhigo on a map, let alone describe his whole journey from here to Doma. Did you really think I would not find out that you were in Kugane, all the while you were supposed to be here, half a world away?”

I blink, mouth wide open, grasping for words. “You knew? Wait- did you already know when you wrote your letter? Did you scare that Moogle into flying all the way here?” His smile grows even wider, and I burst into laughter. “You did. Oh, you are an evil man. You are the most foul, vile man I have ever known, and it is only because you’re so pretty that I am not smiting you down right here and now.”

“I thought by now you should have learned not to underestimate me, my friend,” Hien retorts, pointing a finger at me, “you may be stronger, but I know all of your weak points, even those you don’t know yourself. I could bring you to your knees with the simplest touch.”

I quirk my eyebrows. “Maybe we should go somewhere private before doing that.”

I deserve the smack on my head, but it was worth it.

“You are impossible,” Hien says, scooting closer and leaning on my shoulder, “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” I pull him closer, wrapping an arm around him, and breathe in deep of his scent. Despite the sweat of battle he still smells of Yanxian spices and the Azim steppe, of comfort and time spent together. Right now I do not care if anyone is looking our way, if they recognize the Lord of Doma in the eastern man wrapped around the Warrior of Light. “And you’re right. Sometimes I let my fears get the better of me when it comes to my own life. The thought of you has kept me going all these weeks, even when things looked desperate. The mere idea that you had left me behind…”

“Even if I did, I would have told you plain and simple, not hidden behind a letter or a shinobi’s words. I am not one for subterfuge, even more when it comes to my closest friends.”

He’s right, as he always is. With nothing to say to that, I just hold him close as we both gaze at the reveling Ala Mhigans.

The sight of the celebrations raises both our spirits. “It feels like only yesterday that we were celebrating the liberation of Doma, and now look where we are!” Hien says, after a while, “A thousand malms apart our nations may be, but in spirit we are one and the same.”

“Think we should join them?” I ask, squeezing his shoulder.

He closes his eyes, pondering, then shakes his head. “Later, perhaps. Right now I truly want to know the answer to my previous question. I saw your reaction earlier today when we talked of Zenos. That was not the look of someone who felled a hated enemy. What manner of thought did he instill in you to trouble you so?”

I sigh and lie on my back, pulling Hien with me. The stars above us twinkle in the plumes of smoke from the fires. “He… he thought I was like him. That’s why he let me live when I faced him before, so I could become a worthy subject for his hunt. A ruthless killer, born for the fight, always looking for someone stronger than himself.” Hien makes to interject and I shake my head. “I should know better than to let his words get to me, but… He and his scientists, they imbued him with an artificial version of the Echo.”

He frowns. “The power you told me about, that lets you see the past and talk to all peoples? I thought it was a rare gift from the Mother Crystal.”

“I thought so too at first, but I’ve come to have my doubts about it, and Midgardsormr pretty much confirmed that Hydaelyn’s Blessing is something else entirely. The mother crystal wants the primals unsummoned just as much as I do, so why would she imbue me with the power to control one… or become one?”

Hien props himself on his elbow, alert. “Is that what Zenos did? Use the Echo to overtake the Shinryu primal?”

“And he hinted that I could do the same, if I bothered to learn more of my power, and how to control it.” I reach for the stars with my fist, my black glove like a patch of darkness in the night. “I wonder… All this strength I’ve been given. What if I use it for the wrong purpose? If I overtake primals, can I overtake people as well? How can I be sure that I’m doing good? That I’m worthy of this? What if I’m-”

“Caranraw. Stop. You are worthy, and noble, and just,” Hien shushes me, pressing fingers to my lips and following them with a kiss, “I can say it with confidence, for I have seen your soul.”

I smile. “You did?”

Hien nods, cupping my cheek in his hand. “Undoubtedly so. Nor did I need the help of magic or blessings of the kami to do it. I only had to stand at your side, and I could see it reflected in your stance and your deeds. You are a good man, a kind man. A naive man at times, mayhaps, but one full of bitterness and distrust would not be able to find the good in anyone like you do, and rouse them to better themselves. Even when it comes to a monster like Zenos.”

I remain silent for a minute, letting his words sink in. “Thank you,” I say, eventually, “You always know what to say to make me feel better, and to make all my doubts dissipate. Sometimes you don’t even need to use words. Just a single blossom.”

“Hah! That was less a statement and more a necessity. The seasons have changed, and plum blossoms have given way to peaches and sakura. One left intact was all I could find.”

“Hmm, cherry blossom jam…”

Hien laughs. “I see. I shall have to send food next time rather than words.”

“That is always appreciated. But know that I always prefer you to all the foodstuff and flowers in Yanxia.” I shift to my side and kiss him, feeling whole again for the first time in so long, Hien’s words and touch healing wounds that I didn’t even know I had. “And I promise, no more somber thoughts for tonight. Let’s celebrate and make up for lost time. Unless you actually have to go right now?”

Hien shakes his head, though it comes out more as a nuzzle into my neck. “Yugiri’s words were true. Doma has risen, but is standing on shaky feet, and the lightest breeze can send her tumbling down. We have to strengthen ourselves against reprisal from the Empire, rebuild our cities, secure economic trades. I need to go back soon. But soon is not right now. I am but a man still, and if I have to carry the weight of a whole nation on my shoulders, I would do it by finding strength in my own anchor first.”

“You are the strongest man I know,” I breathe into his hair, “and I believe I am not the only one you made a veritable impression upon. Lord Aymeric was close to fanning himself when he recounted how you brought down that flying armor with a single stroke in midair.”

“Aymeric? The Ishgardian of the, ah, interrupted dinner?”

“The one and same. Be cautious of further displays of prowess in front of him, or you might receive an invitation to a candlelit soirée yourself.”

“Who knows,” Hien teases, “perhaps he would make it dinner for three.”

“Now that is a daring thought. The servantry would talk of ought else for months!”

We laugh loudly into each other, drawing a few glances from the closest Resistance soldiers, then our eyes lock and suddenly all words seem superfluous. For a moment longer I ask myself how did I even come to doubt our bond for a single minute, but then Hien’s mouth is on mine again and all thoughts cease.

“That song you wrote me about,” he says after a while, snuggled against my chest. “I would very much like to hear it.”

“And I would love to play it. I just have to go get my lute from my saddlebag. And find somewhere even more private,” I add, as a particularly loud bout of laughter pierces the air. “We’ll just have to be very discreet about it.”

“And why is that?” Hien chuckles. We get to our feet and shake grass out of our clothes, then make our way to the stables. “You don’t want to be found strumming a romantic tune to the lord of Doma?”

“It’s not quite that…”

I try to open the saddlebag as quietly as possible but Billina qweks softly, roused from her sleep. The sound is enough to make a few heads turn to us, and my fears make manifest as someone - Ortwin? - cries out “Caranraw has his lute!”

Soon other voices follow - “Caranraw’s going to play!” “Play something to dance to!” “No, give us a ballad!” - and I shrug to Hien in apology. “Told you. I hope you weren’t planning on doing anything for the next half a bell.”

We’re joined by a group of revelers and I start with a gigue and a galliard, music to raise spirits and shake feet to. Soon everyone’s dancing, me included, though in my case it involves mostly hopping in place and swaying side to side as the others move round me.

Hien is somehow pulled into a circle of dancers, and I laugh at his clumsy attempts to follow the unfamiliar steps. For someone so graceful with a sword in hand, he’s decidedly uncertain on his dancing shoes.

After that I drift to a medley of several Eorzean tunes, from Gridania to Ul’dah, concluding with the bombastic sounds of _‘I am the sea’_ and the perpetual favorite, _‘Eorzea de Chocobo’_.

The choirs of “I want to ride my chocobo all day” are still dying out when someone else starts playing a traditional Ala Mhigan song on their oud. A drum and a kaval soon join in, and Hien and I use the distraction to make our egress unnoticed.

“I didn’t know you were such a popular musician.”

We have retreated to a secluded spot among the ruins near Mirage creek, with a borrowed rug from the market stalls as a makeshift seat.

I shrug. “Caranraw the Warrior of Light is a famed hero and staunch ally, admired from afar, but Caranraw the Bard is your friend who will play a catchy tune while you’re drinking, or a ballad to soothe the soul while you’re tending your wounds. He tends to be quite a bit more popular with the people. But even he doesn’t hold a candle to Caranraw the Errand Boy, always ready to help around, no matter how big or small the task.”

“I see. You have so many souls, my friend. So many facets to yourself.”

“Perhaps, but don’t we all? There are some that everyone gets to see, some that are only reserved for a few people, and some that are only for our heart of hearts.” I play a few quick notes on my lute. “You get to see more than most, even counting the Scions.”

“I am honored,” Hien bows deeply, without a trace of irony, “and it is likewise for me. The lord of Doma is strong, and because he’s so young, he can never waver and never doubt, not even with his closest allies. But Hien can do all those things when he’s with a close friend… with you.”

I bow down to kiss him, soft and slow. “You can always tell me anything. And I shall endeavour not to hide my feelings from my best friend either.”

“Does that mean you’re finally taking Alphinaud into your confidence?”

“Smartarse. ‘Tis true that Alphy and I have been through many a trial together, but while I may be his dearest friend, to me he’s more like a… disaster little brother?”

Hien covers a bout of laughter with his hand. It comes out like a snort. “I had not heard that expression before, but it paints a vivid picture. And from what you told me of his venture with the Crystal Braves and his attempts at roughing it up on the road, it seems an apt one.”

“Mind you, if he fails that hard it’s only because he tries even harder to live up to expectations, other people’s as well as his own. He feels like he has a big legacy to live up. His grandfather did spare Eorzea from the worst of a Calamity, after all.”

“On that we are similar,” Hien sighs, “I may never live up to the image of my father, but I will do my very best to try. My people deserve that and more.”

I take a moment to reply, picking idly at my lute. “I have never met Kaien, so I can only judge you based on your words and deeds, and not those of your predecessors. And I suppose you must have done something good to make me fall in love with you so completely.”

Hien sits suddenly straight and I halt mid-chord, confused. “Yes?” I ask, and then it dawns on me. “Oh. I haven’t actually said it before, have I?”

“Not with those precise words, no.” He puts a hand on my arm, with a sudden tender look on his face, “I suppose we did not have the occasion before, busy as we were hiding our feelings, and then you running off to the other side of the world.”

“Well then,” I say, taking courage in both hands, “I love you, Hien of Doma. I love you and cherish you with all that I have to give.”

Hien’s hand rises up my arm and to my cheek. His eyes are bathed in moonlight. “And I love you, Caranraw Greyhame. I love you like the sun loves the earth, like the wind loves the trees, like the river loves the stars.”

My hand covers his. “Just so you know, I am definitely going to steal that for a song.”

“Shush. Don’t spoil the moment,” he says, but his eyes are smiling.

I lean in, and the kiss is soft and slow like the bubbling water below us.

When our lips part it feels like eons have passed, and yet not quite long enough. I don’t notice that I’m trembling and weeping until Hien wipes a tear off my cheek with his thumb.

“Now, my love, my dearest of friends,” he says, “I shall like to hear that song.”

And so I play, and for a while we’re by a small spring in Yanxia again, under the plum trees.

* * *

The revels have mostly ceased when we make our way back to the Reach, people having fallen asleep around the fires or retreated to their tents. A few stragglers like us amble through, chanting a song to themselves or nursing a bottle, and we raise a hand in greeting as we pass each other, survivors of the night.

“It looks like they have taken all the good spots,” I say, looking around for a bonfire we can claim. As comfortable as our spot by the river was, the nights turn cold in the desert, far colder than one would imagine given the heat of midday.

“Don’t you have your own bed?”

“I, uh,” I rub the back of my head, “usually get back to camp so exhausted that I just fall down on the first empty cot I see, and don’t wake up until next dawn.”

Hien lets out a long, resigned sigh. “That was my guess. Hence why I asked Lyse to reserve us a tent for the night. She was most accommodating.”

“Lyse?” I ask a little too loud, and lean in to whisper the next part, “did you actually tell her it was for the two of us, or…”

“I told her that the hero of the day needed a proper rest, and since he is too humble to ask for a good pallet and a soft quilt for himself, I would have to ask in his stead.”

“And she bought that?”

Hien grins. “We do have a tent. The rest you can ask her yourself tomorrow.”

Lyse has assigned us one of the pavilions by the war table, where a dozen or more people usually sleep. An effort has been made to remove the smell of sweaty fighters with perfume and flower petals, and the floor is covered in pelts and rugs and more throw pillows than I thought there were in the whole Reach.

“I feel that, if not Lyse, someone had a good idea why someone would request a tent all for themselves.” I inspect the rest of the interior and laugh when I spot a vial tucked on top the covers. “A _very_ good idea. This is oil of some good quality.”

“Good oil for one’s armor is indeed a valuable gift for a warrior, especially after a fight of the likes you’ve had.”

I expect a laugh or smirk that doesn’t come. Hien turns to me and frowns at the look on my face. “Did I say aught amusing?”

“I see that your education didn’t cover certain mechanics of the lovemaking between men,” I say. After a few seconds he blushes furiously with realization. Somehow this is the same man that fearlessly charged a flying attack against war machina, and I love seeing this hidden side of him.

We spend the next few minutes getting rid of our clothes. Our respective layers of armor mean that we have to help each other with the task, and we end up pawing each other more often than not, slowing down the process even further with kisses and sweet nothings.

We’re embracing under the covers, snuggling for warmth, when I ask the question that has been buzzing in my mind. “When you said I should ask Lyse tomorrow… was that only in jest? Would you actually mind if I did it for real?”

Hien nuzzles my hair. “I would not mind. She is our friend and companion. If anyone deserves to know, it’s her.”

“I daresay Yugiri and Alisaie already know, though they haven’t said so out loud, or at least they suspect. But that leads to my next question. After what we said tonight, do you still want to keep our love a secret to most?”

“Hmm. I will not go out of my way to hide it, but for the time being we should not make big pronouncements about it either. It is not the Domans I fear. They love you, and they would not mind that we are of a different race. It is rather the foreign nations, especially Garlemald. If they knew they could hit you by attacking me, it would put Doma in danger. But I would not mind being less circumspect in our correspondence.”

I lean in closer against Hien, and he tightens his arm around my waist. It is odd, being the little spoon while laying with a Hyur. It is also very comforting.

“How about we use nicknames? The chances of our letters being lost or stolen is not high, but it would allow us to talk more plainly without alerting any prying eyes.”

Hien mulls it over for a few moments. “You can call me Shun. With Gosetsu gone, only you, Lyse, and Yugiri know about my childhood name now.”

“I thought you didn’t like being called that?”

“Even more reason why it should be safe to use as a covert name. And it is still less conspicuous than _‘my lord’_.”

I snort, and he slaps me in the arm.

“And what about you, Caranraw Greyhame? What moniker should I use for you? It is an unusual name for a western Roegadyn to start with, isn’t it?”

“Greinhaemr.”

“Bless you?”

“Grein. Haemr,” I shift in Hien’s arms, “Bronze Hammer. That’s my name in the ancient Roegadyn language. My full name is Caranraw Greinhaemr, but when I joined the Order of the Twin Adder in Gridania, well, the elezen attendant was either distracted or not very good with languages and they put it down as Greyhame.”

“Oh no.”

“I tried to get it changed, of course, but bureaucracy being what it is, and with me being away from home most of the time, my requests are probably still sitting on the desk of an overworked captain somewhere. And all the while, I’m being introduced as Caranraw Greyhame left and right: to the Scions, to the Elder Seedseer, to the Guild of Archers…”

Hien holds me tighter. “That must have been distressing. And enraging. One’s name is part of one’s identity, their heritage. To have it mishandled like that…”

I give a small shrug. “It was at first, but so many people know me by that name by now that it has started to feel real. It sounds like a Roegadyn name in the Eorzean common language, and I _do_ have grey skin, so I don’t mind being called that any more. It’s almost like a nickname.”

“Hmm. And Caranraw? Is that ancient Roegadyn as well?”

“No, that’s…” I frown. “I actually have no idea where it’s from, but I know it’s part of my full name. It was given to me by… by…”

I stomp my fist against the ground. “Seven hells! It’s not often that I miss the memories of my past, but it can be exceedingly frustrating at times. I don’t even know what language it is. I know what it means, though: Red Coeurl.”

Hien nuzzles my back, though I can feel his mind is at work by the subtle way he tenses against me. “And how do you say Red Coeurl in Roegadyn?”

I see where he’s going with this. “Rhotkoel. Our ancient tongue is a rough language, but it was made for rough people living in a rough land. It’s no wonder many of our kind have switched to Eorzean, the Hellsguard in particular.”

Hien’s fingers play a gentle tattoo down my arm, then twine with mine. “And do you think that Rhotkoel, being so rough in temperament, would be inclined to write some bawdry missives to his lover?”

“Perhaps he will if Shun, unhindered by the trappings of lordship and politics, will write equally salacious letters in reply.”

We grin and laugh like children who have found a new favourite plaything, and my mind may have already been wandering to thoughts of flourishing phrasing for extremely sensual acts when Hien whispers in my ear and makes it even better: “And would Rhotkoel give me an anticipation of his next correspondence?”

I turn to face Hien, and the look in his eyes is unmistakable, mirroring mine: predatory, full of repressed lust. I lift his chin with a finger. “He would talk about your hair and your lips.”

I kiss his lips.

“He would wax poetic about your strong arms, your hips, your belly.”

I kiss his arm, his hip, his belly, my face resting just above his heat, his hands tangling knots in my hair.

“And then?” I feel Hien shiver under my breath, “What would he say then?”

“Then he would stop talking,” I say, “and he would start acting.”

* * *

Morning comes too soon.

It is odd to awaken to the sound of birds chirping and roaring waters, of people bustling up and about on regular business, instead of the chaotic din of a war camp, or the uncertain uneasiness of the wilderness.

 _…I really need a vacation_ , I think to myself, listening to the gentle sounds of Rhalgr’s Reach rousing from slumber.

At some point I must have covered myself with a heavy quilt, and I shrug it off my chest, trying to cool myself a little. The heat and the heaviness don’t go down as much as they should.

I open my eyes.

_Oh. Right._

Far from being a dream, Hien is right at my side, his head resting on my chest and one arm wrapped possessively round my torso. He’s here and he’s real and he’s warm and damn the Twelve but I really need to go take a piss but I also don’t want to wake him up because he’s so beautiful while he’s sleeping and I want this moment to last forever and burn it in my mind like a picture from one of those Allagan screens and my bladder feels like it’s exploding and it should be ashamed for spoiling such a tender moment.

My shifting must have roused Hien, as he yawns loudly and stretches against me before opening his eyes. “Good morning, my love. Did slumber leave you all too soon?”

“Nothing so romantic,” I lean my head down to kiss his hair, “just gotta pee.”

“Such delightfully sweet words first thing in the morning,” Hien smiles, reaching up for a quick peck on the lips, “but I may be suffering from the same predicament, so how about we make our way to the latrines, get back in bed, and pretend to start the day over?”

“I’ll get some mouthwash on the way, if starting over involves a continuation of tonight.” I chuckle, reluctantly disentangling myself from the young lord.

“Something to break fast too?” he purrs, clinging onto me like a kitten, “I heard they make a peculiarly strong spiced tea in this region.”

“Look at you,” I grin, batting his groping hands away as I don my undershirt, “King of Doma for a few weeks and you’re already ordering me around like I’m your retainer.”

“I would never. But the love of my life would surely not deny me such a little favor?“

He affects such a pitiful look that I can’t help but laugh. “You’re lucky you’re cute. Fine, ablutions first, then breakfast in bed, and then we’re gonna give you a proper sendoff.”

“Hmm. Just remember that I have to ride a yol afterwards.”

“Naughty.”

We kiss again.

I leave the tent while he’s still scrambling to get his greaves on and come back not much later with the requested tea and a full plate of baklava on a tray. I don’t usually take advantage of my fame to get extra perks, especially not when resources are scarce, but what’s a celebration without a little indulgence?

I am only mildly surprised to spot Yugiri sitting on a rock, not too far from our tent.

“I thought you’d be keeping to the shadows,” I smile, “make us pretend we were actually having a private moment. Baklava?”

“Thank you, but no. I’ve been offered enough grilled aldgoat yesterday night to last me a lifetime.” She grimaces and puts a hand to her stomach, “And I have been giving you your privacy. I’ve spent the night gently steering away drunken interlopers who were mistakenly making their way to your tent.”

“You could have let the cute ones through.”

“I am not a proper judge of what is beautiful by your standards. Nor Lord Hien’s.”

Ouch.

“So, was there something you wanted to tell me, or…” I lift the tray and leave the phrase hanging, and she takes her sweet time answering.

“You have been a most gracious ally since we first met in Thanalan as refugees of a hopeless war. You gave us a home, a new hope, and now the freedom of our people. For that I shall be forever grateful. It’s a debt that cannot ever be repaid in full.”

“I didn’t do all that by myself,” I demure, “though I also sense a ‘but’ coming?”

Yugiri smiles, a gentle yet sharp curve of the lips. “But, in this conjuncture, I do not think you are Lord Hien’s better choice as a companion. You leave each other vulnerable to attack by your respective enemies, and you fall victim to forlorn pining whenever you’re apart. It is a weak position for both of you.”

She hops off her rock and comes closer. I tense, but she just pats me gently on the arm. “On the other hand, separating you would accomplish no purpose except to make you both miserable and exacerbate your mutual brooding. So fear not. I shall not stand in your way. In fact, I shall endeavour to make it possible for you two to find as much happiness in each other as your turbulent lives allow for.”

I nod slowly, and she continues. “If I can make a gentle suggestion, however: as a shinobi, as you said, I am well versed in the art of hiding in shadows. And thus it is with authority that I can say that some things should not stay concealed too long ere they turn sour.”

She takes her leave, not expecting a reply, and I stay there for a full minute, wondering what to make of her speech. Eventually I decide there’s nothing to be done just yet and I make my way back to the tent, kneeling down to pass through the low opening without toppling my tray.

“Breakfast is ready! I hope you like honey. I didn’t ask.”

“I do. What took you so long?” Hien helps me set down the tray, dressed only in his undergarments and with his dogi draped loosely over his shoulders. The sight of his bare chest under his Doman coat is enough to halt my breath. One day, perhaps, it shall become commonplace, but not yet.

“I met a friend on the way back. She wanted to have a few words. Nothing to be concerned about.” I pick a piece of baklava and push it towards his mouth. “Now say ‘aaaah’.”

All good things come to an end, so it is before noon that we reluctantly make our way back to Porta Praetoria. Yugiri is conspicuously absent, only showing up at Hakuro’s side at our final destination.

“My lord,” the great Lupin bows deeply, “all is ready for the journey home. Those who can teleport have already been instructed to do so, and the rest are being divided among the yol and falcon riders.”

“Excellent news. I for one cannot wait to be home.” His words are truthful, but I can sense the hesitation in his voice. Though I am likewise eager to get back to my apartment and my bed (and my plants, if they haven’t all died from abandonment yet), I would stay another month in this dry land if it meant spending it with him.

The twins join us in bidding the Domans a safe journey home, and Lyse and Raubahn soon after. What I thought would be an event of low profile is instead turning into a public gathering around the camp, as people try to get a glimpse of the steppe nomads or the wolf soldiers from the east.

Hien and I have already said all our goodbyes back at the Reach, but I wouldn’t have minded one more for the road.

“I didn’t see you at the celebrations yesterday night,” Raubahn tells Hien, “The Lominsan artificers lit the city with an astounding firework display. I would be sorry if you missed it.”

“Oh, I think he celebrated alright,” Lyse blurts out. Well, that answers my question of whether she knew or not.

Alphinaud and Raubahn frown in puzzlement, and Lyse takes a step back, as if she just realized that she might have said too much. Alisaie is doing her best to repress a giggling fit, which prompts me to laugh in turn.

“It’s my fault,” I say, “I’m afraid I kept Hien occupied for the better part of the night.”

Hakuro perks again at my excessive familiarity, and even more when Hien, after one moment of careful consideration, bumps his elbow against mine and smirks. “Indeed. Caranraw and I had much to talk about before my departure, and that occupied most of our time. And then we got caught up in the celebrations at Rhalgr’s Reach. There was dancing involved.”

“If that thing you did can be called dancing. ‘Hien Two Left Feet’, that’s what they’ll know you as!”

“I thought it was ‘Hien Fells Things In Mid-air’?”

“That’s in Ishgard.”

We laugh, and draw even more curious glares. Yugiri gives me a knowing look, and I think back over our talk this morning, as well as my conversation with Hien Yesterday night. Don’t tell it to everyone, but not keep it secret either. Maybe to some good friends…

So I seize the day and take Hien’s hand in mine. After a moment of surprise the lord of Doma squeezes mine in return and nods, sharing my same thoughts. “And then we made our own fireworks,” he says, “although I’m sure they were not as spectacular as the Lominsan’s.”

“Excuse me,” I say, pretending to be affronted, “ _my_ fireworks are top of the line!”

Things finally seem to click in place for the men, and Raubahn erupts in laughter, while Alphinaud covers his embarrassment with a polite cough. Hakuro…. Well, Hakuro _bristles_. His fur shakes from head to toe, though he is otherwise still as stone. I don’t envy Hien for the conversation that’s sure to come.

“So, it’s official?” Lyse asks, clearly relieved that she doesn’t have to tiptoe around the subject any more, “Can we expect participations soon? Should I get a new dress?“

“Let’s not jump that far ahead just yet.” Hien shakes his head, though still smiling, and proceeds to tell them the same practical concerns we’ve shared with Yugiri and with each other.

Raubahn nods in agreement. “There are people who would see this as a mark of allegiance from the Warrior of Light, and it would give the unsympathetic factions in Eorzea an excuse to prevent him from getting involved in their affairs.”

“Not to mention the Scions as a whole,” Alphinaud adds, “since Caranraw’s greater fame reflects directly on us, for better or worse.”

“Oh, shut it both of you,” Alisaie shakes her head, bemused, “the thing you should be saying is _‘That is splendid news, and I’m happy for you two.’_ Honestly, brother, aren’t you supposed to be the diplomatic one?”

Alphinaud looks properly chastised. “You’re right. As my dear sister so succinctly said, I’m happy for the two of you. When we first set sail for Doma, I would never have imagined that our journey would create bonds so strong, but full glad I am of it.”

We take the compliments in stride, Hien with better composure, as befits his rank and training, while I keep on grinning like a child. Even Yugiri gives us one of her rare coy smiles.

“Does that mean you’re going to Doma as well?” Lyse asks me, “You do deserve some time off after all you accomplished. Gods, I would spend a fortnight at the Costa del Sol myself, but it seems that driving away the Empire was just a prelude to the really hard work.”

“Indeed,” Raubahn says, “rebuilding is a harder task than liberating, and with far less clear goals and objectives. These first few days will be fundamental in setting the tone of what sort of nation you want Ala Mhigo to be.”

Lyse seems to have missed it, but I’ve known Raubahn long enough to notice that he said ‘ _you’_ , not ‘ _we’_. But she’s expecting an answer, so I file that down for later. “Alas, I won’t, as much as I would love to. Not immediately at least. I have a long backlog of work for the leatherworker’s guild, squadron reports to write for the Twin Adder, and I’ve been asked to help a botanist in Idyllshire…”

“And rest. Don’t forget the rest,” Lyse sighs, “I swear, it’s like you get itchy if you sit still for more than two minutes.”

She raises her head to find everyone looking pointedly at her and she startles. “What? What is it? Did I say something funny?”

“We should be heading to the Rising Stones as well, to see that Y’Shtola fully recovers,” Alphinaud swiftly changes topic, “but I intend to come back to Ala Mhigo soon to check on how you’re doing here.”

“In that case,” Yugiri says, “allow me to accompany you. The Domans in Mor Dhona will want a first hand account of the liberation of their land.”

“I’ll take that as my cue to depart as well, if we want to make a good distance before nightfall. Not that it wouldn’t be tempting to remain another night,” Hien’s fingers squeeze my own tighter, “but there is as much work that awaits me in Doma as there is for you here, Lyse. I wish you the best of luck, and I hope we can meet again soon under better circumstances.”

“You can count on it!” Lyse beams, and we all cheer.

“And so he goes.”

Yugiri reaches me on the ramparts, where I’m watching the flock of yol and falcons disappear on the horizon.

“Yes,” I say, more brusque than I intended, “Have you come to watch my forlorn pining?”

To her credit, she does seem sufficiently contrite. “Forgive me. I had wanted to give you my full honest impression, but failed to consider how it would be received. And my objection was not about you in particular. If anything, you are a better choice than many.”

“Thank you?” I cock my head at the dubious compliment.

She sighs, tilting her head away. “You know Lord Hien. He does not rush to deliberation, but when settled on a course, he will keep on following it to its end. Once a bond has been formed, he will not turn his back on a friend, or an ally-”

“-or a romance,” I finish for her, “even if it comes back to bite him in the ass.”

“Not the expression I would have used, but yes. For our good fortune,” her gaze softens, “it seems that he has chosen someone just as faithful and stubborn as he is.”

I turn to her, still wondering exactly if I should consider that an endorsement or a temporary concession to her lord’s folly. “If anyone tries to hurt him,” I say gravely, “they will be dead meat.”

“That’s precisely the turn of phrase that worries me. One day you will have to choose between the well being of Lord Hien and that of the realm, and the choice will hurt you both.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” I shrug, affecting nonchalance, “And enough people have been pulling at my coattails, asking me to devote myself fully to their cause no matter the cost or the sacrifices. The realm can well afford me a measure of selfishness.”

Yugiri nods, more in acknowledgment than in agreement, and then she smiles. An actual smile, not her usual curl-of-the-lip smirk. “So, have you already started penning your new letter… Rhotkoel?”

“Ah, so you _have_ been listening. And no. He just left. Give me an hour or two before I start mooning and pining. And please don’t try to read over my shoulder.”

“Would you even notice if I did?”

“I shall have to rely on your word,” I smirk, “Failing that, I will find out just what sort of writing it takes to make a shinobi blush.”

She laughs, and just like that, the strain between us dissipates.

We watch the sky together, lost in thought, until Hien and his army are long gone.

**Author's Note:**

> When I started playing FF14 I didn’t really care about/look into the lore, so I just recycled my character name from LotRO with a slightly different surname. Of course, later on I found out that Roegadyn names don’t really work like that. Whoops.
> 
> While Caranraw doesn’t really have any good homophones in the Roe dictionary, Greyhame works pretty well as a mishearing of Greinhaemr, so I retconned that into his origin story.
> 
> (Caranraw is actually Sindarin for “red lion” but, since the Roe dictionary I found has no word for lion, I just picked the closest match)


End file.
